Gotan Project

“Tango must be released from the monotony which has characterized its harmonies, melodies, rhythms and aesthetic." These words, spoken by the great tango visionary Astor Piazzolla, serve as a mantra for GOTAN PROJECT, an unprecedented fusion of tango and the latest musical technologies. The noble spirit of gaucho has been reborn in an exciting new form. It all began in 1998, in the heart of Paris, when three complementary personalities came together: Argentinian guitarist EDUARDO MAKAROFF, French turntable aesthete PHILIPPE COHEN SOLAL and the Swiss beats programmer CHRISTOPH H. MÜLLER. No small-time musical pirates these, but veritable golddiggers in search of musical nuggets. After several experiments they were convinced they had found in Tango, and Argentinian music in general, fertile ground for developing original new music. They drew on sources with little in common other than a whiff of cinematic melancholy. To avoid slipping into clichés as they explored the genre, they enlisted the talents of the singer Cristina Vilallonga, Nini Florès on bandoneon and Gustavo Beytelmann on piano. With time and dedication, this close encounter of a third kind resulted in a potent mixture of distinguished dub and sophisticated house. Several maxi singles fueled the buzz: in short order demand for remixes was high and the best compilation projects were reserving choice space for this nuevo tango electronico. The time had come for “La Revancha Del Tango”, the trio's first album, released in 2001. It was a perfect crossover effort, peppered with references both subtle and explicit and appealing to tangodancers, clubbers and a wider audience. The record was spun all over the planet and GOTAN PROJECT embarked upon an extensive two-year world tour. This long break from the studio gave them time to reflect on their follow-up effort, which would need to be a real step forward and not just a pale imitation of the brilliant first album. It came in the form of “Lunático”, a direct tribute to Carlos Gardel and the founding fathers of tango. The album explores tango's inherent eclecticism, calling to mind Pugliese, Troilo, Gobbi and of course Piazzolla, reinventing them with everything from rap percussion to raspy vocals.